2023 In Review for The Digital Apothecary
So, 2023 is coming to a close, and 2024 is upon us soon. With that being the case, I thought I'd summarize what I have been up to and what I look forward to next year!
2023 Areas of Focus
This year, my focus was largely on AI and digital health technologies (DHTs). My anticipation of the societal impact of AI, which I expressed last December, has proven accurate. The widespread availability of LLMs to the public has indeed caused significant changes in societal attitudes towards AI, confirming my belief that AI is a present-day reality, not a distant future concern.
Given the inevitable role of AI, I took a proactive stance, particularly in academia. The widespread concern about the potential misuse of LLM and related AI technologies, such as plagiarism, is something I've addressed in other forums. However, my firm belief is that we've crossed a point of no return with AI. Instead of resisting, I advocated for the responsible use of AI by my students, as it's highly likely their careers will be significantly influenced by AI, regardless of current incumbents' views.
My engagement with AI and DHTs extended beyond the university, involving collaborations with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the American Pharmacist Association (APhA). The central question I often encounter is: what implications does this have for our future?
Got to catch up with my buddy Ravi Patel (U of Pitt) and present on digital health education modalities.
With that being the case, I would say the following stand out for some of the major outcomes associated with these projects and endeavors:
APhA AI Policy Development: I was invited to serve on the advisory panel regarding the utilization of AI for the profession, and I spent a weekend alongside other pharmacists in DC discussing policy development. This is under review and will be voted upon at the 2024 annual meeting in Orlando, FL.
APhA DigitalHealth.Rx Summit 2023: I helped organize this year's summit focused on digital health, which occurred during the APhA annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. I was lucky to attend in person this year, missing the past ones due to the pandemic. It was great to meet colleagues and friends that I had met online during the pandemic and those I hadn't seen in several years.
Integration of Digital Health into Pharmacy Education Outcomes with AACP: The CAPE outcomes used for the past decade are now evolving into COEPA, in which I played a role alongside several colleagues to help integrate digital health as a topic area that pharmacy schools should have in their curriculum. COEPA should launch in the coming 1-2 years.
Development of AI Institute with AACP: Due in part to the rapid changes LLMs are bringing to education, AACP is creating an institute to address this issue. I am part of the development committee and will also help facilitate some sessions and give some talks on the topic. This will hopefully launch in April 2024.
Digital Therapeutics Advisory Role: I continued to serve as a clinical advisor to the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), and I plan on continuing to do so in the future. I was invited to serve as an advisor to a payer group on prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) and help educate stakeholders on DTx and PDTs and how they can be used in care.
Major Accomplishments in 2023
Aside from the projects I helped lead with national organizations, there were other projects and activities that I was proud to accomplish this year, including:
AI in Pharmacy Education Publication: Working with Jeff Cain and Daniel Malcom, we published a piece in AJPE on how AI may impact the pharmacy educational space (Citation - Cain J, Malcom DR, Aungst TD. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Pharmacy Education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2023 Oct;87(10):100135.)
Prescription Digital Therapeutics and Pharmacy Publication: Working with Gigi Shafai, I published (perhaps the last) paper that came out of Pear Therapeutics that evaluated how pharmacy and pharmacists could play a role in PDTs. I have not given up on this space, and I still believe it will be playing a role, though the downturn in the tech space will be tough for now to manage (Citation - Shafai G, Aungst TD. Prescription digital therapeutics: A new frontier for pharmacists and the future of treatment. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2023 Jul-Aug;63(4):1030-1034.)
Book Chapter on Technologies for Pharmacy Education: I was invited to write a book chapter in "ESSENTIALS OF PHARMACY TEACHING AND LEARNING" (eds, Michael C. Thomas, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, and Peter J. Hughes, Pharm.D., M.S.Ed., BCPS) from ACCP on "Digital Technology and Learning Management Systems" based on my history of using technology in my teaching endeavors.
Two Book Chapters in Pharmaceutical Care in Digital Revolution (2nd Edition): I was invited to help update two book chapters on digital health and digital therapeutics for the 2nd edition digital health book for pharmacists. It was released at FIPs Annual Meeting in Brisbane, Australia, though I couldn't make it this year as part of the announcement.
PTCE Directions in Pharmacy Keynote: I love giving keynotes, and this year, I was lucky enough to be invited to give the keynote for PTCEs Directions in Pharmacy (DiP) annual meeting. Interestingly, this was split across four regions in the US (e.g., East Coast, Midwest), and the topic was how digital health and technology advancements are changing how pharmacy operates. It was fun to see the different questions and thoughts of the audience across regions, with some being more receptive than others, I am finding (West Coast is more advanced, in my personal opinion).
WPSA Keynote: I generally don't present much on the West Coast, except for larger annual meetings. However, the Washington Pharmacist State Association kindly invited me to speak to their board and give a Keynote on digital health and AI for pharmacy practice. I am seeing many organizations really focused on how to keep ahead of the curve or learn about novel advancements in tech that may impact their members.
Other Presentations: Aside from the above, I gave several presentations and keynotes in person and virtually across the US. This includes the digitalhealth.rx summit, a local ADCES presentation on the digitalization of care, several podcasts, and other invited presentations, CEs, and panels.
2024 Goals
Looking to the future, I hope to continue several of the above ongoing projects and advisory roles but take on some new ones as well. Things I am excited about include:
Research Students: I was lucky to find a group of P1 students who have a large interest in AI and programming and hope to do some interesting research on LLM and related AI technologies. Keep an eye out for what we publish! I am very excited about this work!
Present further on AI & Digital Health: I have several presentations, both virtual and in person, lined up for several organizations and national meetings that I am looking forward to giving. This includes the annual APhA meeting, so if you are going, let me know!
Update my list of Pharmacy Startups: It's been almost 4 years since I've done this, so I want to get on it, finish this work, and see how the pharmacy startup space has changed over the pandemic. I just didn't have the time to commit.
Update my Digital Health E-Book: I definitely want to make a 2nd edition of the primer I released before the pandemic. I think many of the things I wrote about have come to fruition or have petered out, and I am looking forward to recapping what may be going on this decade in the pharmacy space.
Write a Book: I have an idea for a nonfiction historical book that I really would like to write. I envision it to be a 24-36 month project. It'll take my love of pharmacy, gaming, history, and more combined together, and I feel it's an opportunity to really write something fun for myself.
Meet New Friends: I have definitely been enjoying getting back into in-person meetings. I want to meet newcomers who are entering the pharmacy tech space or are interested in how pharmacists can operate in a rapidly changing space. Would love to connect if you are interested!
Whelp, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the update. Let's chat if you are up for it this coming year!